


Reaching Out to You

by strawberrymarss



Series: Seongjoong Week 2020 by J [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M, Seongjoong Week 2020, Skinship, hongjoong is growing more touchy lately, i didn't put much thought into this so i apologize for reduced quality, really soft, seonghwa always notices hongjoong, they're not together yet but they are in love, uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:54:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24373114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrymarss/pseuds/strawberrymarss
Summary: Seonghwa always notices Hongjoong, especially his lingering, fleeting touches which grow more frequent nowadays.Seongjoong Week Day 1: Canon Moments
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong & Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: Seongjoong Week 2020 by J [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1759783
Comments: 17
Kudos: 181
Collections: Seongjoong Week 2020





	Reaching Out to You

**Author's Note:**

> hullo! been awhile since i last did anything for seongjoong so here i am! i won't be participating in every day of Seongjoong Week 2020, but I'll drop some stories here and there! This one was written to force myself out of a writer's block, so I'm sorry for the reduced quality :'( Enjoy!
> 
> \- this is also posted so late i'm so sorry -

Hongjoong’s almost ghostly, fleeting touches don’t go unnoticed by Seonghwa. 

It is a known fact from their trainee years that Hongjoong often turns towards others for skinship and is more touchy with them compared to how he is with Seonghwa. And Seonghwa lets him; he no longer wants to force Hongjoong to be touchy with him, he gives the younger his time and space, after Hongjoong tells him why he sort of distances himself from Seonghwa. It wasn’t anything bad; Hongjoong was just generally reserved and wasn’t sure how to approach Seonghwa, despite their similar age, because with the younger members, he sees them as his younger brothers, as kids who barely had enough time to be childish before being thrown into this whirlwind of an industry, so Hongjoong readily opens his arms and welcomes them to cling onto him. 

Seonghwa wanted to protest that he and Hongjoong are also kids who had to grow up suddenly, especially since they suddenly have to care for six other boys, he wanted to protest that he was the youngest in his family who suddenly got thrown into the position of being the oldest, he deserves the same warmth Hongjoong provides the others, but that night in their dark dorm room, it had such a fragile air and Hongjoong was baring his soul, and Seonghwa didn’t dare to even let out a breath harsher than a small, light puff, in fear of breaking the other. 

But Seonghwa learned to notice Hongjoong more; his gaze often falls onto the other more often than not, watching him and his body language. The others make fun of his alleged ‘Hongjoong tunnel vision’, but Seonghwa has a good reason for it. He keeps an eye out for the leader, so that if Hongjoong ever feels like he needs someone to fall back onto, someone to quietly hold hands with, Seonghwa can be there in time. 

Which is why he didn’t miss the way Hongjoong intertwines their fingers trying to push him away when he bothered the younger as he wrote, which is why he didn’t miss the way Hongjoong’s hand kept gravitating towards his when they stood next to each other, and he definitely didn’t miss the way Hongjoong almost hugs his neck during their Instagram live after accepting the title of South Korea’s promotional ambassador by the Ministry of Culture, where everyone could see. 

And he definitely didn’t miss the way Hongjoong leans into him more frequently now, on and off camera.

Seonghwa’s heart blossoms every time he notices Hongjoong’s little touches and the way the leader is letting himself get closer, but there is… a sort of hesitancy he senses from Hongjoong. The eldest member thinks he has to ask Hongjoong about this, in case there is an underlying problem or issue Hongjoong is facing that Seonghwa failed to notice or isn’t privy to.

Hongjoong had slipped to the studio too fast for Seonghwa to catch him after dinner, so Seonghwa decides he’d just have to stay up and wait for Hongjoong. The younger had only gotten more touchy as time passed, but the hesitancy still remains. Hongjoong still glances at Seonghwa a few times before making his way to him slowly and so quietly others don’t really notice, the platinum blond boy still starts off small with light, feathery touches lingering on Seonghwa’s shoulders, then his fingers, and then slowly their hands become intertwined, and Seonghwa lets him, or then it becomes Hongjoong resting his head on Seonghwa’s shoulder, melting against the point of contact like he trusts Seonghwa will always be there to catch him if he falls. 

And he is right, Seonghwa won’t ever hesitate to be there for Hongjoong, he will always try his best to be by Hongjoong’s side, ready to shoot an arm out to catch Hongjoong before the boy hits the ground and shatters like glass. And even if Hongjoong breaks, Seonghwa swears he would be there to pick up the pieces and glue them back together, one by one. 

It is a promise they whispered into their quiet dorm room during that night; a promise that they will be there for each other, always, and they are both men of their words. 

Seonghwa doesn’t plan on breaking it any time soon, nor ever.

\---

It’s 1am when the door to their room creaks open, and Seonghwa thinks it’s quite an accomplishment for the other. 

“Still awake, Mars?” Hongjoong asked, his voice slightly rough. He must’ve drank less water than usual, being so immersed in his work. 

“Mhm,” Seonghwa replies, as he turns on his side to watch the other discard his bag and pull out a change of clothes from their closets from his position on his bed, then sleepily adds, “You’re home.” 

Hongjoong lets out a soft, amused huff. “Yes, I am. Go sleep.”

Seonghwa hums, and Hongjoong glances at him before he leaves for the bathroom. Seonghwa’s heart slightly skips a beat, as Seonghwa wonders if that was fondness in Hongjoong’s captivating eyes. 

Hongjoong returns 15 minutes later, and Seonghwa was already almost asleep, mind fuzzy with drowsiness. He registers the bed dipping beside him and scoots, letting Hongjoong have more space to climb and settle into. There was a small gap between them, but Seonghwa knows Hongjoong notices it, because there was then a soft tug on his sleeve, and Seonghwa moves closer so Hongjoong could - sort of - curl up to his side. 

The blanket is pulled over their frames and they stay like that in the dark, Seonghwa listening to the sound of their breaths. Hongjoong isn’t crying or stifling anything, so that’s good, he guesses.

“Hey, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa starts to test the waters, and Hongjoong gives him a soft questioning hum in response. 

Seonghwa turns on his side again to face the other. Hongjoong’s eyes are still closed.

“What?” Hongjoong asks.

“Is everything alright?” Seonghwa questions, and Hongjoong opens his eyes after a few seconds, meeting Seonghwa’s gaze.

“What’s this about?” Hongjoong instead asks back, his tone a little tired and confused.

“You’ve been touchy,” Seonghwa says, “not that it’s bad. But you’ve been touchy. But also hesitant.”

“Oh…” Hongjoong utters, and stays quiet for a minute or so. Seonghwa presumes he is forming his words and stringing sentences together. Then, Hongjoong continues, “yeah. I’m okay.”

Seonghwa studies his face, the features he was so enthralled by when he first walked into KQ’s building and saw Hongjoong, features he has come to love even more now; his eyes, his long lashes, his pretty lips Seonghwa wants to kiss someday. Hongjoong and him had confessed their feelings to each other some time ago and found that it was mutual, but they both decided to put it off until they had finally properly settled down in the industry and things calmed down.

“Really?” Seonghwa asks to confirm again.

Hongjoong nods, “just a little tired than usual recently, but I don’t think I’ll burn out any time soon.”

Seonghwa tugs him closer and wraps his arms around Hongjoong, the other fitting perfectly in his arms and melting into his embrace. The older plays with Hongjoong’s strands, and the leader sighs, satisfied as he buries his face in the crook of Seonghwa’s neck. 

“Take breaks, okay?” Seonghwa says, and Hongjoong hums. Seonghwa adds, “I’m here for you, alright? Always.”

Hongjoong lets out a breath, and his arms snake around Seonghwa’s waist. 

“Sorry I’m taking so long getting used to skinship, Hwa,” Hongjoong mutters out, and Seonghwa shakes his head slightly. Hongjoong huffs out, “it’s easy in this room, but outside…”

“Shh, it’s alright,” Seonghwa comforts, “I understand. Cameras are scary sometimes.”

“Really scary,” Hongjoong agrees and Seonghwa feels him nod, “super scary. People too.”

Seonghwa chuckles softly at the cuteness Hongjoong doesn’t even need to put effort into, and merely hugs Hongjoong a little tighter.

“I just wanted to remind you I’m here for you, Joong,” Seonghwa says again, and Hongjoong hums. 

“And I'm always here for you, too, Seonghwa."

Those words soothe Seonghwa in ways nothing else could, and he smiles, burying his nose in Hongjoong's hair, breathing in the familiar smell of Hongjoong's shampoo. 

The two of them - no, eight of them, actually - against the world, holding each other's hands tightly, promising to never let go of the other, promising to fight through whatever wants to come at them together. Seonghwa cannot imagine a future or a world without Hongjoong, and he hopes he'll never experience it.

**Author's Note:**

> DID YOU SEE THAT?! I didn't make anyone cry this time! 
> 
> I hope you liked that, dear reader, and do drop some comments and kudo's! I'll appreciate them! Thank you or reading!


End file.
